Chapter Four
Protect Tazuna! Land of the Waves Arc, Begin!
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~two months later~
Everything is black. He's lying there, in the center of a universe of nothing, floating without thought or care. Clothes and hair billow in an invisible wind, formless, shapeless, senseless. Darkness envelops the world, and Sasuke is at peace.
It may last a moment, it may last a thousand years; he can't tell anymore. Time has lost its meaning to him now. Then, in a blaze of white, everything shatters.
Sasuke is looking into a cracked mirror, staring at the distorted reflection of himself. It smiles back at him, baring long, bloodstained fangs, and opens three glowing red eyes.
He's floating, high above the green-and-brown-and-blue quilt that is the world, drifting through the almost-pillow-like clouds that soon become thunderheads, booming and flashing with forked tongues of lightening. Rain pelts down at him, beating against his face until the spikes of his hair droop, soaking wet. Sasuke closes his eyes as the storm intensifies, throwing him down to the earth almost as if in a child's tantrum.
The scents of spring assault Sasuke as he opens his eyes once more, to a beautiful hillside view of a calm, clear lake. The cherry blossom tree at his back spreads pink petals everywhere, and the gentle breeze draws ripples from the mirror-like surface of the water and waves in the endless green grass.
Then he's drowning, drowning in the cold, cold water, clawing at the liquid in a vain attempt to reach its surface once more.
He inhales in vain, the water's rushing into his lungs, he's choking—
Sasuke gasped for air, mouth opening as wide as possible in a desperate attempt to breathe. His spine cracked in protest at the speed with which he sat up, eyes wide open and pupils completely dilated in the rapidly dissipating remnants of panic that had gripped mere moments before.
"What the hell…what the hell was that…?"
He stared at his hands, watching as the early morning sunlight filtered through his fingers, shadows creating a complex, dappled pattern there, of darkness and light, of yin and yang, of evil and good, of demon and angel.
He then realized that he was overthinking things again, and that he really needed to put a damper on his poetic muse.
Shaking his head in disgust with himself, Sasuke proceeded to use the age-old method of cold-water-facial-splashing and a cup of black coffee to wake himself up enough to function. Tugging on his clothes, fastening the arm warmers over his runes, and checking to make sure he had an even number of kunai and shuriken, Sasuke set his traps and left the house for the team meeting place.
He couldn't get the nightmare out of his mind, and attributed the continuing terror of the vision to his rising paranoia. The feeling that someone was watching him was just a figment of his imagination.
The mismatched eyes flashed among the leaves as their owner flitted from branch to branch, haunting Sasuke's footsteps with a ghostly precision born of years' experience. The shade slid through the shadows, concealing itself among the bark and brush.
Like a true shinobi.
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Twin yawns filled the air as Team Seven waited, once more, for their extremely tardy sensei. Kakashi, it seemed, could never be merely five or ten minutes late. No, he went big to avoid going home—he'd never been earlier than two and a half hours after the time he told them to meet. Sakura lounged on the concrete bench, while Sasuke leaned against the bridge railing and Naruto snored in the grass opposite the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura's shoulders cracked as she rolled them in their sockets, stretching her arms over her head. She yawned again, checking the position of the sun against the tops of the distant mountains.
Eleven in the morning. Kakashi would be arriving soon, after all—he'd told them to meet at eight.
"Naruto! Wake up!"
She hissed, rising from her place perched at the end of the bench. The blonde moaned and rolled over, muttering something.
"I dun wanna giturp…"
"You have to! It's already eleven, and Kakashi-sensei will be here soon!"
"Kuhkahshee…sensayyyy…nuuuuu…dun wanna giturp…"
Sasuke opened one eye, observing the sequence of events unfolding before him. A miniscule smirk curved the right side of his lips as Naruto, mouth hanging wide open, rolled into a puddle left from a small rainstorm two nights prior and promptly jumped to his feet, only to hit his head on a conveniently placed tree branch.
Kakashi arrived to the sight of Naruto, unconscious on the ground with a hematoma rapidly forming on the top of his head, being scolded by a furious Sakura, while Sasuke leaned against the bridge railing and watched. Closing his eye, he raised his hand in a two-fingered salute.
"Yo! Sorry I'm late—I got lost on the path of life."
"SAVE IT, SENSEI!"
Sakura turned her annoyance on the Jounin, fist clenched and veins beginning to show in her forehead. Kakashi sweatdropped at her ferocity, holding up his hands as if to portray innocence. By the way her chakra signature seemed to be boiling over and concentrating in her knuckles, he didn't think taking a hit from her would be a good idea.
"Settle down, settle down…anyway, we'll wait for Naruto to wake up, then head to the office to get our missions for the day."
"Hai sensei! But don't think I've forgiven you for being LATE!"
"Aa."
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Half an hour later found Team Seven standing before the Hokage and a panel of Chuunin, Iruka among them.
"Alright, Team Seven, under Hatake Kakashi…there are quite a few missions available for you kids. Rake up the leaves along the Yamanaka Clan compound's main street, catch Tora again, help an elderly woman with her groceries, walk and wash the Inuzuka dogs, babysit some—"
"HELL NO! Hokage no jiji, you can't call these missions. They're chores that rich, lazy people don't wanna do themselves! Take us seriously, dammit! We're SHINOBI!"
Naruto shook his fist at the panel, all of whom looked shocked except for Iruka (who was facepalming) and the Hokage (who looked almost amused). Sasuke found himself agreeing with the outspoken blonde, even through he'd backtalked the Hokage himself (was he suicidal?!) and generally disrespected his elders and superiors. The man in question sighed, sliding the pipe from his mouth.
"There's a reason you three get the worst missions. New Genin start off with D-rank missions, with little to no amount of risk. Promising or seasoned Genin and low-level Chuunin receive C-ranks with higher risk levels, such as delivery missions. Seasoned Chuunin and new Jounin receive B-ranks, mostly retrieval missions. High-level Jounin and Tokubetsu Jounin receive A-ranked missions, mostly assassinations. Extremely experienced Tokubetsu Jounin and ANBU get the S-ranks, and ANBU Captains and above can take on U-ranks, or unranked missions so dangerous that even the elite of the elite rarely succeed. You aren't qualified to handle more than a D-rank yet, but…"
"I can't take any more of these crappy missions! I want something worthy of a ninja!"
"I can give you three a simple, low-level C-rank mission. You'll be escorting your client to the Land of the Waves."
"YES~! Who is it? A princess? A diplomat? The daimyo?!"
The door clattered open as a nondescript Chuunin ushered in an elderly man with a bad case of potbelly, tanned skin, wrinkles, and muscular arms. Taking a swig from his white porcelain bottle of sake, the man staggered into the room.
"These are the brats who're gonna protect me? I don't think they can do it—especially the midget over there."
"He's a drunk! At least I'm not the midget, though…that would…"
Naruto looked over to see that Sasuke was around four inches taller than him, while Sakura was about half an inch taller.
"Dammit."
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Kakashi sighed, throwing his head back to look up at the constellations in the midnight sky. Konoha didn't have streetlamps (ninja had excellent night vision, and civilians didn't wander about much past sundown), so the stars were as clear and crisp as anywhere else in the world. They shimmered like rhinestones set in a deep blue blanket of smooth, warm silk, while the moon shone in a dappled silver orb of soft gray light.
"I wonder if my Genin have bitten off more than they can chew…would you say so, Obito? Would you criticize them for their brashness or congratulate them for their bravery, Minato-sensei? Would you worry, Rin? I'm sorry I won't be able to see you for a while…I'll be in Wave, escorting a bridge builder named Tazuna…I won't deny that I'm worried for the brats, but if they pull this off…still, they're not ready for it, and the last time I took a mission my team wasn't prepared for…I can only hope past experiences prove wrong. Ne, Obito?"
Kakashi looked to the right, to the obsidian memorial stone where the names of his Genin teammates and sensei were carved.
"After all…I don't want to see any more names I know on the KIA list…"
The familiar ache in his chest pushed his hand forward, and the man soon found himself tracing the delicate kanji of Rin's name.
"I will protect them…I swear it."
剽
Sasuke unraveled the weapons storage scroll he kept in his closet. It contained the ninja tools that'd been kept in the Uchiha armory, but they'd been sealed and given to him after the massacre. Unsealing kunai, shuriken, ninja wire, and various ninja tools, Sasuke began the process of checking for any flaws, sharpening points and edges, untangling and recoiling wires, and cleaning up inked lines, before packing the tools in his weapons pouch and thigh holster until both were full. Reviewing his inventory, Sasuke sighed.
Fifteen kunai, twenty shuriken, three coils of ninja wire, ten exploding tags, and six smoke bombs. It would be enough to last him through the mission, sure, but if they encountered anything more than a few bandits…he would need to use his runes again. Which he didn't want to do, lest he need to activate them in a battle and draw the attention of his teammates and sensei as well as the enemy.
"Che. Of course things can't be simple."
He could seal several vials of poison in his runes, but no more. The rest he'd hide in his clothes and strap to "invisible" holsters, so named because they hugged the body's form and made it nigh impossible to see the concealed weapons.
As he debated whether to bring the twin tanto swords he'd encountered in the depths of the scroll, Sasuke also mused upon their mission.
Escorting a bridge builder being targeted by bandits across the country didn't seem like much of a challenge, even for a C-rank. The mission, to him, though it was a break from the monotony of chores and menial labor, seemed a little too easy. It wasn't his place to question the Hokage's judgment, but…his instincts would be on high alert throughout the journey. Deciding against the tanto in favor of several extra braces of shuriken, Sasuke picked up the whetstone once more. It would be a long night.
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"I'll see you when I get back, Kaa-san!"
Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Sakura bolted out the door, the chain of her kusarigama jingling as she ran. It almost drowned out her mother's goodbye, a faint wish of good fortune and safety. A quiet smile rose to the pinkette's face as she took to the rooftops, the red fabric of her cheongsam rippling in the headwinds that blew her hair into a cerise banner of silk. Her navy zori tapped at the terra cotta tiles that composed the roofing predominant in Konoha, and the smile that had already formed widened with exhilaration at the speed with which she travelled.
Now I know why I chose to become a kunoichi.
Her parents had been against the idea at first, but after Sakura showed them a highly analytical mind and near-perfect chakra control, they'd come around. The Haruno were nothing if not supportive, and Kizashi had taken it upon himself to tutor his daughter in taijutsu and some aspects of genjutsu, resulting in Sakura's status as the year's top kunoichi. Unlike most of the other girls, Sakura didn't care much for her clothes or appearance; instead, by focusing on her training, she was able to learn that she had an aptitude for illusionary techniques due to her fine chakra control and eye for detail.
Which seemed like a blessing, as she zoomed through the skies and nearly hung herself with a stray wire, since she was naturally clumsy and often needed a flare or two of energy to keep from tripping, falling, and/or losing her balance.
Shaking her head slightly to clear it, Sakura leapt lithely from the last roof and landed in a crouch, palms resting on the cool cobblestone path. Standing, she flexed her shoulders again (they always seemed to stiffen over the course of the day) and looked up. The huge village gates loomed before her, the red hiragana standing proud on the whitewashed wood. She grinned again and set down her backpack, settling herself at the base of a sturdy tree on the side of the road to wait.
Soon enough, she was drifting into the world of dreams once more.
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Sasuke and Naruto arrived half an hour later, within about three minutes of each other. Sasuke got there first, smirking at the sight of his female teammate's seemingly comfortable napping spot. Sakura lay on her right side, curled up like a kitten, bangs fluttering gently with each breath. The movement was blatantly obvious to the vampiric shinobi (who had fed the night before, to ward off any hunger for the duration of the mission. Even so, he was cutting it close—if all went well and they were back at the end of the week, he'd need more blood the day after), and annoyed him to no end.
After a moment of careful deliberation, Sasuke sat down next to Sakura, back to the bark, and slowly extended his hand. His fingers brushed her cheek as he swept her hair away from her face.
Some instinct told him to keep his hand there, stroking soft skin and memorizing her face with his touches. Sasuke didn't know he'd stopped fighting it until he realized that he was, in fact, caressing his teammate's cheek, and that she was unconsciously leaning into his touch.
A muffled curse escaped Sasuke, and he leapt away (careful to avoid disturbing the pinkette) from the scene, choosing to roost on a low-hanging branch above her (after leaving his pack hanging in front of him by one of the straps). Soon after, Naruto arrived in a blaze of orange and gold, excited beyond all measure by the prospect of his first mission outside the village.
The three waited another forty-five minutes for Kakashi and their client, Tazuna, to arrive. In the meantime, Sasuke lowered himself into the meditative state he was so familiar with, Naruto ranted about ramen, and Sakura slept on.
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Tazuna and Kakashi appeared to a scene of chaos; Sakura screaming at Naruto for waking her up with his ramen rant, Naruto cowering in fear, and Sasuke scowling high in his tree as he attempted to block out Naruto's cries for help. Tazuna shot a disbelieving look at Kakashi, who rubbed the back of his head and closed his eye sheepishly.
"Ma, ma, they're better in the field."
"They'd better be."
"NARUTO~! I'LL PUNCH YOU THROUGH THOSE GATES, CHAAAA~!"
"SASUKE-TEME! HELP MEEE~!"
"Hn. No."
"SASUKE~!"
"BAKA! I'LL WRING YOUR NECK AND DIG YOUR EYES OUT WITH A RUSTY SPORK!"
"TEMEEEEE~!"
"You brought this on yourself, ramen-loving freak of nature."
"OOOOI~! WOULD YOU PLEASE GET HER OFF ME?! KAKASHI-SENSEI~!"
"Sakura, keep your aggression to a minimum."
"NO!"
"OK then. You're on your own, Naruto."
"HEEEY~! KAKASHI-SENSEI, YOU TRAITOR! TEME—"
"No. I will not help you. You deserve it."
"BUT—"
"I. Said. No."
"ITAIIIII~! SAKURA-CHAN, NO NEED TO HIT ME SO HARD~!"
"YOU WERE ASKING FOR IT, BAKA!"
"How do you deal with this, Kakashi?"
"I really don't know, Tazuna…I really don't know."
"…I just met the brats and I'm already sick of them. Please tell me this is just pre-mission anxiety."
"They're always like this."
"…I need more sake."
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Team Seven strode away from Konoha confidently. Well, Naruto did, tucking his hands behind his head and adopting a stance best described as that of a severely bowlegged dwarf. Sakura was busy examining everything; from the scenery to the flora to the fauna, nothing was safe from her observations. Sasuke had his eyes closed, relying on the footsteps of his comrades to guide him as he meditated. Tazuna kept taking enormous swigs of sake, his huge pack swaying dangerously as he staggered about. Kakashi was the only one who looked remotely normal, humming a jaunty tune to himself as he read from his…ahem…"quality" reading material.
"Are you sure you brats are ninja? You look a little short to me."
"URUSAI, BAKA-JIJI~! We're ninja, 'ttebayo! Don't you see the hitai-ate?!"
"The what now?"
"HITAI-ATE! Our forehead protectors! They symbolize the fact that we're recognized as emancipated adults by the village of Konoha, 'ttebayo!"
"…Do you even know what that means, Naruto?"
"No…I heard Iruka-sensei say it. What's your point, Sakura-chan?"
"…Kami save us all. Kakashi-sensei, do you have some sort of antidote to him?"
"Why would you need one, my cute Sakura?"
"Never say that again. And I need one because I don't want to catch his stupidity."
"Good point. Now, my adorable Sakura, we must get to developing the cure to idiocy."
"'MY ADORABLE SAKURA?!' THAT'S JUST AS BAD AS 'MY CUTE SAKURA!'"
"Why would you need a cure for me? I'm confu—WAAAH!"
"BRAT! YOU SPILLED MY SAKE!"
"IT WAS THE ROCK'S FAULT! IT TRIPPED ME!"
"Baka…"
"That's mean, Sakura-chan…"
"Please, never pout again."
Sasuke, deep in a trance, noticed a slight prickling at the back of his neck. Almost as if…they were being watched. He decided to disregard the fact that Uchiha instincts are almost never wrong in favor of Kakashi's carefree attitude.
Kakashi doesn't seem bothered, but…there's someone there, I'm sure of it! What is this feeling?
Unbeknownst to the five-some, twin pairs of eyes watched them from the bushes, observing their every movement as uneven breaths rattled through metallic facial masks meant for a country of perpetual rain. A clawed gauntlet moved to a weapons pouch, blades dripping with sinister purple-black poison.
What is this premonition?
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~ Tsuzuku ~
A/N: OH MY KAMI! I'm so sorry for the insanely long wait! I had a REALLY BAD, REALLY LONG case of extreme writer's block. I actually struggled getting to my 3000-word-chapter limit…I was about 30 words short and it was driving me crazy. But, this chappie's word count is 3101, thanks to the dialogue between Team Seven and Tazuna. Also, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to my four awesomesauce reviewers (two of which are anons) who gave me the inspiration and drive to finish this in FOUR DAYS. You're all awesome! And, to the reviewer who asked if this would be SasuNaru/NaruSasu:
I stated in the summary that the main pairing would be SasuSaku (I ship them SO MUCH), and I agree with you—that wouldn't really work out in this particular story. I'm kinda throwing around the idea of a yaoi side pairing, a LOT later, but for now…no yaoi! I mentioned the pairing as a joke in the previous chapter's A/N, but will NOT be including it here. Thanks for bringing that to my attention; I don't want to give anyone the wrong ideas, here!
Anyway, the next update will probably be a double update; either 6000+ words or two chapters.
Again, I'm sorry this took so long!
Sasuke: So you forgot about us? How dare you.
KBA: I had writer's block! It wasn't my fault!
Itachi: Don't blame her, otouto. This is why you have no luck with women.
Sasuke: I told you before, I don't—
KBA: Then why were you stroking Sakura's face earlier?
Sasuke: …*blushes*
Itachi: *smirks* Somebody has a crush.
KBA: YOU'RE BLUSHING~!
Sasuke: *turns away* No I'm not.
KBA: Yes you are! And as a special surprise…our next chapter's introducer is…
Sakura: *pokes head in* Am I late?
Sasuke: …!
Itachi: Nope. Introduce, object of my otouto's affections.
Sakura: Who's your otouto?
Itachi: Sa—mmph!
Sasuke: *hand over Itachi's mouth* His otouto is not here. Go on with the intro.
Sakura: OK! *voice change* Our young hero's intuition foretells conflicts, but of what kind? Tune in next time for: Attack, Team Seven! The Shinobi Hidden in the Mist!